An Epic of Linneaic Proportions
by chrisfardell
Summary: A Federation Zoologist travels to a new colony planet


**An Epic of Linneaic Proportions (A Star Trek Anthology Story) (A TrekBBS April '08 Challenge fanfiction)**

**17 April 2408**

_**FMS Andorannic **_**on approach to the Federation Colonial Planet New Victoria**

Karen 'Kazza' Allenby looked out at the planet, New Victoria. It looked completely different to New Australia, from where she had boarded the ship a week before.

"_Attention passengers, those disembarking at New Victoria, please move to the Debarkation Lounge, we are now on approach to Orbital Station Bendigo, passengers continuing on to New Otago and beyond, please remain out of the debarkation lounge_"

She got out of the seat that she was in, and headed to the Debarkation Lounge.

As she walked along to the Debarkation Lounge, she thought about the conversation that, 2 months ago, had set her on this course, to move to New Victoria.

_**Flashback**_** – **22 February 2408 (Zoology Department, University of New Armidale, New Armidale, Kamilaroi, New Australia, United Federation of Planets)

"_I am here, you said that it is something important" Kazza said, rather impatient that she had been called away from the 1st year undergraduate Biology class that she had been demonstrating for, for a meeting, she hadn't really expected._

"_Ms Allenby, a great opportunity has come up, a great opportunity for a promising young Zoologist such as yourself. A research position has come up at the University of New Victoria on the planet of New Victoria, they are desperate for a qualified zoologist to assist in the beginning of cataloging of the animals of the planet, it is a great opportunity" her supervisor and head of the UNA Zoology Department, Sirok said._

"_New Victoria, where is that exactly?" Kazza asked, confused._

"_A relatively new colony planet, one of the first to be established after the end of the War against the Dominion, it is located 10 parsecs above Bajor, the University was only established 5 years ago, and only now have started the studies of the lifeforms of the planet in detail" Sirok said._

"_That is almost on the other side of the Federation core space from here!" Kazza said in a measure of exhasperation._

"_I am aware that the distance from New Australia is great, however I must stress, that it is a great opportunity, for a zoologist, one that may soon be filled, what do you say?" Sirok said._

"_I'll give it a thought, and I'll get back to you about it before the end of the week" Kazza said._

_**End Flashback**_

Kazza had entered the Debarkation Lounge, and saw that there was a big line up in front of the hatchway to the Transfer Shuttle Docking Port. She knew that the her luggage would be transferred to the shuttle directly from the ship's cargo bay so she wasn't worried about it. She was more nervous about landing on an entirely different planet for the first time, (She had never left New Australia before this, despite her experience in MMOHRPSUGs, though she had been on other continents before)

She decided to do some reading whilst she waited, so she got out her personal PADD, and accessed her personal summary file on the various species she had helped identify since she was an undergraduate.

_(Terra/Nov.Au.) Felis sylvestris_

A hybrid between the common Terran Domestic Cat and the Native New Australian Cat, a species practically identical to the former, with differences being on the genetic level, mainly the common New Australian Mammalian genetic markers.

_(Nova Austra.) Serpens allenbiensis_

A relatively rare species of the common _Serpens_ genus, the most common member of an order of totally limbless mammals found on the main continents of New Australia.

This was a particular favourite, as this was her discovery, whilst she was observing the behaviour of the local Eagle vultures (_(Nova Austra.)_ _Aequilypius howardis_) in a remote national park, she had stumbled across a nest of the species, she could tell by their top fur colouration that they were different from the other species of the genus.

She continued reading, she could see that hatch was now open and the line was beginning to move.

_(Nova Austra.) Haloptera yalliensis_

A species of a Holometabolus New Australian Insect Order that has characteristics of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera, a member of a bee-like social genus.

_(Nova Austra.) Dalramdis erridius_

A species of bird found to have speciated from another species as a result of changes in habitat wrought by the expansion of farmland through a previously unified forest, on a remote island in the tropical region of New Australia. The New species had adapted to the changed conditions in their part of the forest and would no longer mate with any individuals of the parent species.

_(Nova Austra.) Mooillumminus luna_

A species of small phospholuminescent arachniod creatures, not only do the animals themselves glow in the dark after sunset on moon-lit nights, so do the webs that the spin.

_(Nova Austra.) Leopiceaves Sirokensis_

A species of the Lionfish Bird _(Leopiceaves spp)_ so named because its main prey is the Lionfish, though it does eat other marine creatures, mostly other fish, though it does hazard, smaller birds, sea urchins and anemones. This particular species has specialised on the Lionfish and its close relatives.

_(Nova Austra.) Leopiceus australis_

A species of the Lionfish that lives in the Great Southern Ocean of New Australia. The Lionfish is a fish that superficially resembles a Terran Lion to some degree, it is also noted that the members of the _Leopiceus_ genus also have social structures similar to Lion prides.

_(Betaz./Nov. Au.) Canis lupus_

A hybrid between the Betazoid Wolf and the New Australian Wolf. Both of which are rather similar.

Kazza put the PADD away, although she had not finished reading through the list of species, as she was now boarding the Transfer Shuttle, she placed her thumb on the biometric reader, waited for the authentification, and then went in and sat down for the journey down to the planet.

She was now excited about going to New Victoria, though she was still anxious. She knew that the years ahead were going to be very busy. A planet where the majority of the animals (as well as the plants, fungi and various other organisms) were still undescribed. A Zoologist's dream. A Taxonomist's nightmare.


End file.
